Day 09 of Journey through Mark: HUMAN TRADITIONS & THE COMMANDS OF GOD

COMMENTARY Today, Jesus again finds Himself in trouble with the Pharisees and teachers of the law. As we’ve already seen in Mark, these people have accused Him of blasphemy, of eating with sinners, of failing to fast, of breaking the Sabbath, and of casting out demons by the power of Satan (Mark 2:6, 16, 18, 24; 3:2, 22). Now they have a new complaint with Jesus. After seeing His disciples eat without washing, they ask Him, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?” (Mark 7:5). To appreciate the angst of these religious leaders and Jesus’ response, it helps to explore some background on the tradition of the elders. In the centuries leading up to the time of Jesus, officials from Pharisaic schools of thought developed an elaborate system of rules. These rules, which were considered as authoritative as Scripture, were designed to put a fence around the Jewish laws so that people would not accidentally break any of them. In some cases, these rules helped people know how to obey laws that seemed unclear. In other cases, they functioned more like supplements to the biblical laws. This is the case with the issue of handwashing. Scripture records only one law about handwashing. But the Jewish Mishnah, a written record of these additional rules, dedicates more space to rules about handwashing than the Bible gives to the all the covenant laws combined (Exodus 20:1-23:33). Jesus could have responded to His accusers by pointing out how their unending lists of rules had ironically undermined the Law rather than fenced it in. God’s one instruction about handwashing applied only to priests when they participated in sacred meals (Exodus 30:17-21). Elsewhere in Scripture, God allows common people to eat common meals, no matter the status of their hands (Deuteronomy 12:15, 22; 15:22). It wasn’t a problem for the disciples to eat their food without washing. But since this is the seventh time Jesus has been confronted with this kind of accusation, He cuts right to the chase: “You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions” (Mark 7:8). Jesus’ response to His accusers should challenge us in the church today. We have our own rules and traditions. They aren’t all bad, but we have to be careful that we don’t value our rules so much that we forget what has come from God and why. When we lose sight of the original purpose of God’s commands, we can actually undermine His Law, even in our efforts to keep it. SCRIPTURE MARK 6:45–7:23 JESUS WALKS ON THE WATER 45 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. 47 Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. 48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, 50 because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 51 Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, 52 for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened. 53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. 54 As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. 55 They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed. CHAPTER 7 THAT WHICH DEFILES 1 The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus 2 and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.) 5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?” 6 He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ 8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” 9 And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ 11 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)—12 then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. 13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.” 14 Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. 15 Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” [16] 17 After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. 18 “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? 19 For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.) 20 He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come— sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.” REFLECTION 1. In Exodus 33:19-34:7, God famously reveals His name and His glory to Moses when He “passes by” him. In Mark 6:48-50, Jesus similarly decides to “pass by” His disciples and then identify Himself, saying, “It is I” [literally: “I am”]. What is this story teaching us about Jesus? Why should this have been a cause for “courage” for the disciples (Mark 6:50)? Where do you need more courage in your life today? 2. In Mark 7:6-7, Jesus quotes Isaiah 29:13 to show how His accusers from Jerusalem were similar to the people of Jerusalem back in Isaiah’s day. Both groups looked like they were faithful on the outside, but on the inside, both groups were far from God. What has been the status of your heart lately? Are you more concerned with what others see on the outside or about what God sees on the inside?